


Some Kind of Resolution

by lucdarling



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: F/M, M/M, past abusive relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-01
Updated: 2012-02-01
Packaged: 2017-10-30 11:17:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/331179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucdarling/pseuds/lucdarling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil thinks he misheard the name because the world cannot be this small.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Some Kind of Resolution

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written anonymously for on [this prompt](http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/3266.html?thread=890818#t890818) on November 24, 2011.  
> If you catch the crossover, great!

Phil Coulson stood in shock and felt the blood drain away from his face as Tony Stark talked partially to his phone, half to the empty living room he paced in.

“Yes Pepper, I will attend this meeting... I promise I will not keep Jilly waiting, I will be on time.” Tony's tone was coaxing as he gestured with his hands. “Okay, so she doesn't believe me because I've blown her off four times before this. Yes, I understand why she is making even more demands now.” Tony nodded despite the fact that his assistant couldn't see him. “Right, Ms Kitzinger will be here at ten and I will not be hungover. Got it. See you at nine then.” Tony pressed a button to the Bluetooth in his ear and turned around to see Coulson staring at him.

“Hey Phil, you're looking a little peaky. Dinner not agree with you? Yeah, I didn't think much of it either.” Phil took a miniscule step back when Tony came closer.

“You're meeting Jillian Kitzinger tomorrow?” He managed to choke out, his voice slightly higher than usual.

Tony grinned. “Yeah, she's a total fox. She has this plan for Stark Industries and getting all of those blowhards at Capital Hill off our back.” His grin shifted to a smirk Phil was familiar with from multiple surveillance photos, that of Tony Stark on the prowl. “I bet she's wild in the sack. She definitely knows what she wants. You can tell just by her voice. Have you seen her handle the paparazzi?”

Phil doesn't say anything in reply, he just turns on a heel and goes back to his office. The memories of screaming matches, finger-shaped bruises and insults spoken in a icily calm woman's voice whirled in his head silently as he got into bed that night. Phil closed his eyes and breathed deeply as the bed dipped next to him.

He felt a thumb stroking his cheek and lips pressed to his head before Phil felt ready to open his eyes. “Hey, what's wrong?” Clint's blue eyes showed concern as Phil didn't answer, only curled against the younger man's outstretched legs and swallowed hard in a suddenly dry mouth. Phil eventually fell asleep, face pressed into his lover's neck and Clint's arm around his waist.

The doorbell chimed shortly before ten and Pepper yelled down the stairs for someone to open it. Phil heard her continue to berate Tony for his clothing choice because _this was an important meeting Tony_ but all of the background noise washed away when Phil opened the door and saw Jillian standing there.

She was just as beautiful as he remembered, dressed in a bright red jacket just a few shades brighter than her wavy hair. She let a false smile curl her lips up when she looked up from her phone and noticed Phil in front of her. 

“Oh, Phillip, it's been far too long.” Her voice was sugar-sweet as her nails clicked against the plastic backing of the phone.

“Why don't you come in, Ms Kitzinger?” Phil invited the woman in, stepping back two steps as she stalked forward. The name tasted like ash on his tongue and she smiled like a snake as it left his mouth.

“It's good to see the government is taking care of you so well,” she said brightly as her eyes raked across Phil's body. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent suppressed a shiver. “I'm simply delighted to run into you again, I had no idea you were high enough in the agency to know Mr. Stark.” Phil nodded stiffly at the casual insult, ears strained to hear the welcome click of Pepper Potts' heels behind him.

Instead, he heard a familiar whistling sound and froze in place. An arrow flew inches over his shoulder and pinned the edge of Jillian's red jacket to the wall behind her. A second arrow followed directly after into the other side, securing the woman to the wall. Jillian stood on her tiptoes and slithered out of her jacket, frowning before she took three large steps into Phil's personal space and placed a manicured hand on his arm. Her nails dug into the soft flesh of his underarm and Phil tried not to be transported to the eleven months of dating he had done as a younger man. He wasn't sure he succeeded as Jillian's hazel eyes narrowed.

“If you think some hotshot Robin Hood is going to scare me-” She stopped talking as the third arrow grazed her earring, the jewelry tinkling on the metal in the resulting silence.

“Oops,” came Clint's voice as Phil blinked for a long moment. “I must have missed.” His tone was guileless as he walked up to the two, shark-like smile on his face. He discreetly slid a hand to Phil's back as he stared with hard eyes at the smaller woman.

Jillian's eyes turned glacial in response to the look and her fingers tightened on Phil's arm. Clint's hand swiftly covered hers at Phil's almost imperceptible flinch. The marksman slowly removed each blood-red nail from the suit jacket, staring directly at Phil's ex the entire time. The agent was too busy staring at the arrows in the wall in front of him, watching the light play off the metal's surface and pretending he wasn't in the hallway to do anything to stop the younger man.

The sound of Pepper's stilettos heralded her arrival and the steps slowed as she took in the scene. Clint's hand returned to Phil's back, fingers splayed underneath the jacket. The warmth soaked into his spine, giving Phil confidence that he never had in front of Jillian alone.

“Yes, it was lovely seeing you again,” Phil commented softly. “I suggest you conduct your business with Mr. Stark and leave.” The _or else_ went unspoken and Phil was sure his lover's smile matched his tone. He turned away from his ex as Pepper went to greet her, Clint in step with him until they reached the hallway's curve and were out of sight of the two women.

It was there that Phil leaned against the wall and trembled. Clint was quick to pull Phil into an embrace, whispering soft encouragement in his ear that Phil's brain didn't process as he shook from the adrenaline and memories both.


End file.
